October 28 is National First Responders Day. In 2017, Congress backed the date to honor the police officers, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics who arrive first when someone calls for help. Dispatchers belong on that list too. They hear a stranger’s worst moment through a headset and stay on the line until the crew arrives.
You’ll see thank-you posts and free coffee offers all week, and first responders deserve both. They also carry home what they see on calls, in their brains and nervous systems, and they deserve care built for that weight. If you wear the uniform, or love someone who does, the practices below are for you.
Trauma Adds Up
Most of us face a handful of traumatic events across a lifetime. A paramedic can face two unthinkable tragedies before lunch. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), about 30 percent of first responders develop a mental health condition such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the general population, that figure sits at 20 percent.
Your brain has an alarm system built for emergencies. Spot a threat, and your body releases adrenaline and cortisol so you can act fast. Your heart pounds and your focus narrows to the task in front of you. On a call, that response helps you do the job.
After the call, your nervous system needs time to come back down. Sleep and time with people you trust help it settle, and 12- and 24-hour shifts cut into both. You clear one scene and drive to the next with your heart rate up. Over months and years, your stress response can stay switched on.
PTSD develops as your brain keeps treating a past event as a present danger. You might relive a call in flashbacks, or find yourself driving the long way to avoid the intersection where it happened.
First responders also carry cumulative trauma, the weight of hundreds of hard calls stacked together. You don’t need one catastrophic call to feel it. A firefighter can go 15 years without a single call that put them in obvious distress and wake up one morning numb and short-tempered with the people they love.
Your brain built these responses to keep you alive on the job. With support, you can help it learn that the shift is over.
Signs to Watch For
Trauma can build for months before you name it. You spent years learning to set your own pain aside so you could focus on someone else’s. Watch for these changes in yourself or a coworker:
- Trouble falling asleep, or nightmares about calls
- Feeling on edge, or snapping over small things at home
- Replaying a call when you want to rest
- Pulling away from family and friends
- Feeling numb on calls that used to move you
- Drinking more, or relying on alcohol to sleep
- Headaches or stomach trouble with no clear medical cause
- Thoughts of suicide, or feeling like your family would be better off without you
If several of these have stuck around for weeks, talk with your doctor or a counselor who works with first responders. If thoughts of suicide come up, call or text 988 right away.
Trauma-Informed Self-Care Tips
Trauma-informed self-care starts with your nervous system. You give your body clear signals that the danger has passed, using tools you can reach for in the truck or at your kitchen table. You stay in charge the whole time. Try what feels right, skip what doesn’t, and stop any practice that stirs up more than it settles.
Breathe out longer than you breathe in
Breathe in through your nose for a count of four, then out through your mouth for a count of six. Repeat five times. The longer exhale slows your heart rate and helps your nervous system settle. Many academies teach box breathing: in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. Both work, so pick the one you’ll use.
Ground yourself before you leave the scene
Before you pull away from a scene or walk back into the station, press your feet into the floor and name five things you can see. You pull your attention out of the call and back into the present, where you’re safe. Keep your eyes open if closing them feels uncomfortable.
Build an end-of-shift ritual
You can teach your brain that the shift has ended with a small ritual you repeat when you clock out. Some firefighters change out of their uniform before they drive home. Some officers sit in the car for two minutes with the radio off. Choose one action and repeat it after each shift until your body learns the cue.
Move the stress out
Your body releases stress hormones to get you ready to run or fight. After a hard call, give that energy somewhere to go. Walk around the block or shake out your arms and legs for a minute. Our wellness facilitator Jennifer Baez teaches somatic movement and chair yoga in Flawless workshops, and you can follow her practices from a seat in the station. For more tools, read our blog Your Nervous System Isn’t Broken.
Protect your sleep
Your brain processes the day’s memories during deep sleep. Hang blackout curtains and leave your phone outside the bedroom so you can rest after a night shift. A drink can help you fall asleep, but alcohol breaks up the deep sleep your brain needs after a hard call.
Talk to someone who gets it
Many departments train responders to serve on peer support teams. Talking with someone who has worked the same kinds of calls can feel easier than starting with a stranger, so find out who’s on your team before you need them. A counselor who specializes in trauma and works with first responders can help you process the calls that stay with you.
Many trauma counselors use EMDR, short for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. During a session, you recall a hard memory while your therapist guides you through back-and-forth eye movements or tapping. Over several sessions, many people find the memory carries less charge. The EMDR International Association keeps a Find an EMDR Therapist directory where you can search for trained therapists near you.
For Families of First Responders
You live with the job too. You plan holidays around shift schedules, and some nights your partner walks through the door quiet and far away. A few habits can help you both:
- Give them 20 minutes to land after a shift before you ask how it went.
- Offer an opening without pushing for details. “Rough shift? Want to take a walk?” gives them a choice.
- Stay calm when they’re tense, and your loved one can borrow that steadiness. Scientists call it co-regulation.
- Name what you see with care: “You haven’t been sleeping. I’m worried about you.”
- Get support for yourself. You carry their stress in your own nervous system, and Safe Call Now, listed below, takes calls from family members.
Where to Find Support
Asking for help belongs on the checklist, the same as checking your gear before a shift. These lines connect you with people who know the job:
- Safe Call Now: 206-459-3020. A free, confidential 24/7 line for first responders and their families. Current and former first responders answer the calls.
- Copline: 1-800-267-5463. A confidential 24/7 line for law enforcement officers. Retired officers answer the calls.
This October 28, thank the first responders in your life, then check on them. Send the text and ask how they’re sleeping. At Flawless, we care for the whole person, and that includes the people who show up for the rest of us on our worst days.
If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone right now, call, text, or chat 988 for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor, available 24/7.
